If you are thinking about a cosmetic procedure for the unwanted fat around your stomach area, you may be wondering what procedure is right for you.
There are many factors to consider if you are thinking about liposuction or a tummy tuck. These are two of the most common cosmetic surgical treatments. In 2019, liposuction and abdominoplasty were in the top five leading cosmetic procedures in the world.
If you want to know more about the benefits of liposuction vs tummy tuck, keep reading to find out which one is right for you.
What Is Liposuction?
Liposuction is a surgical procedure that permanently suctions excess fat from the body. It is minimally invasive and great for addressing stubborn fat deposits.
For many, diet and exercise just aren’t enough to achieve a flat stomach. If you have exercise-resistant fat deposits, particularly around the abdominal area, liposuction is a great alternative. However, it should not be considered a weight-loss method.
You may be surprised to know that liposuction is not the right treatment for obesity. Liposuction is for those in overall good health but want spot reduction in certain problem areas with excess fat.
Liposuction is beneficial for those who:
- Have an average weight range
- Are in overall good health
- Are non-smokers
- Are not sagging around the abdominal area
- Have good skin elasticity
If you have excess fat around the belly area, liposuction may be right for you. Typically, only a surgical procedure can help eliminate fat in that area.
What Is a Tummy Tuck?
Also known as abdominoplasty, a tummy tuck is a surgical treatment that removes excess skin stretched or sagging around the abdomen.
This makes for a flatter and tighter stomach and helps to repair weakened stomach muscles.
A tummy tuck is great for those cases in which the skin cannot bounce back. This is common after a woman has experienced childbirth. It can also occur with age, as the skin loses elasticity and is prone to sagging.
This can create excess skin, sagging, and stomach “flaps” around the abdominal area. For these instances, liposuction is not the most effective route. The only way to tighten the stomach is to remove the excess skin.
A tummy tuck is suitable for those patients who:
- Are you in good health
- Have given birth and have loose belly skin
- Were obese and have loose skin and fat deposits around the belly
Excess skin can be embarrassing and affect your self-esteem. This procedure can help tighten your skin and restore your confidence.
Benefits of Liposuction
If you want to get rid of small fat deposits, liposuction is a good fit for you. These problem areas can include the buttocks, stomach, thighs, or hips.
It is great if you want to contour your body and focus on small problem areas. It can help you reduce bulges and get the shape that you want.
One of the biggest benefits of liposuction is achieving a flatter stomach. Those that undergo the procedure will see more proportion in their bodies, particularly their abdomen.
However, after you’ve had liposuction, it is important to keep up with a diet and health regimen, as those fat deposits can reappear over time in other areas of your body.
Fortunately, if you gain weight after the procedure, fat is unlikely to appear in the areas treated with liposuction.
Benefits of a Tummy Tuck
One of the greatest advantages of a tummy tuck is that the results are permanent. Your abdomen area becomes stronger and more stable.
An abdominoplasty removes excess skin and excess fat at the same time. The results will be permanent unless you gain weight or become pregnant. This will stretch out the problem area again.
You should aim to maintain your weight and continue with a regimen of diet and exercise to ensure the best results.
Be sure to talk to an experienced practitioner to decide if a tummy tuck is right for you.
Liposuction vs Tummy Tuck
Now you may be wondering which one is the best option for you – liposuction or a tummy tuck. Let’s review what we know about each one.
Liposuction: Effective with Little Recovery Time
Liposuction is highly effective in reshaping your body and removing unwanted fat. It is also less invasive than a tummy tuck and requires less recovery time.
You can also target many different areas in one procedure. You can spot remove fat deposits from your arms, hips, thighs, and belly. However, though it removes fat, it doesn’t tighten the skin the same way as a tummy tuck would.
There is also downtime required for a liposuction procedure. Most patients only need a few days before they can go back to work. Swelling and bruising usually take up to three weeks to heal.
Tummy Tuck: No More Excess Skin and Fat
In certain cases, liposuction may not be adequate to achieve the desired results.
For some, extreme weight fluctuation has left them with sagging and stretching of the skin that is just not possible to tackle with liposuction alone. This is generally for those who have had children or who have lost a large amount of weight.
A tummy tuck is more invasive than liposuction, but it not only removes excess fat but excess skin. It also tightens the abdominal muscles and has a more permanent result.
However, the recovery time for a tummy tuck is much longer than liposuction; For many patients, recovery takes several months. It can take up to four months for the swelling to go down.
It also leaves patients with a large abdominal scar. Depending on the amount of skin removed, it can span across the stomach from one hip to the other. The scarring fades, but it can take up to a year.
Exercise is encouraged, but it is important to let your body rest and recover while healing.
Combined Liposuction and Tummy Tuck Treatment
There are so many advantages to both liposuction and tummy tucks; why not do a combination treatment? You can enjoy the benefits of both and tailor the treatment to your specific body goals.
In fact, liposuction can aid in the removal of skin and fat, particularly in the lateral flanks of the abdomen area and in the upper thighs.
Make sure you speak to your practitioners or surgeon about the best procedure for you. Ask about combination treatment for the best results.
The Bottom Line
We all want to look and feel our best. Although we cannot always achieve our body goals through diet and exercise alone, there are procedures to give us a little help. If you have been wondering about the results of liposuction vs tummy tuck, refer to our informative guide to help you make the right decision.
Be sure to visit our website and book a consultation for your next cosmetic procedure!
